Gold exploration companies
Gold exploration companies are best compared on the same five facts: jurisdiction, land position, drill data, path to a compliant resource, and team record.
This guide, published by Lannister Mining, explains each criterion and applies it to the Basin Gulch project as a worked example. It does not rank other companies, because this site only holds verified facts about Basin Gulch. Use the same five questions for any mineral exploration company you look at.
Last updated: Published by Lannister Mining
Ask the same five questions of every company, and compare answers side by side. An exploration company is usually valued on its project and its people, so these criteria focus on both. The table applies them to Basin Gulch.
| Criterion | What to look for | Basin Gulch answer |
|---|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Where the project is, the mining history of the area, and how the market values ounces there. | Montana, USA, in the historic Philipsburg Mining District. |
| Land position | How much ground is held, what type of title, and how much remains untested. | 1,107 hectares: 11 patented and 53 unpatented claims; two-thirds unexplored. |
| Drill data | How many holes exist, what they returned, and whether results start near surface. | More than 320 historical drill holes, including 1.8 g/t gold over 162 m from surface. |
| Path to a compliant resource | Whether there is a resource yet, and a clear plan to reach one under NI 43-101 or S-K 1300. | No resource yet; plan toward a maiden mineral resource estimate. |
| Team record | Whether the people have advanced, financed or built projects before. | Includes co-founders or senior executives of K92 Mining, Fosterville South, Arena Minerals and Thesis Gold. |
Lannister Mining states there is a clear market premium for S-K 1300 and NI 43-101 compliant gold and silver ounces in the USA, and that US-based companies with compliant resources trade at a significant premium to their peers. That is the company view, and it is why Basin Gulch is aimed at a maiden resource.
Lists of mineral exploration companies in the USA change often. Stock exchange listings and state geological surveys, such as the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, are better starting points than any fixed list.
There is no single official ranking. Top lists depend on the criteria chosen, such as resource size, stage or jurisdiction, and they go out of date quickly. Rather than publish a ranking it cannot support with equal facts for every company, this site offers the five-criteria checklist above. Read how the stages of mineral exploration affect what a company can show at each point.
This guide was written by Lannister Mining, which publishes this site and explores the Basin Gulch project. It is not independent. The five criteria were chosen because each one can be answered with published facts: location, land title, drill results, resource status and team history. Every Basin Gulch answer uses figures as reported by Lannister Mining. See the full methodology or return to the Basin Gulch project overview.
Published by Lannister Mining
